Gibraltar: Conquered by No Enemy

by Marc Alexander

The story of Gibraltar is one of siege, starvation, plague, and battles interspersed with periods of peace. The colony's civilian population is made up of a rich and complex racial mix of exiled Jews, French royalists, Maltese merchants, emigrants from India, and Genoese fishermen who fled Napoleon. This history provides the background to a unique community and a chronicle of a remarkable chapter in British military history. Even now, the future of the tiny territory is still uncertain. An important RAF base, it is a fragment of Britain's imperial past set uneasily in the territory of a fellow member of the European Union apparently eager to reclaim it. Gibraltar's dramatic history is far from over.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Celia Crotteau · Rating 3 out of 5]

As "resident aliens" in Spain from 1964-66 (my father's work took us there), my family was required to leave the country every six months. Twice we took day trips to Gibraltar and returned with our passports bearing exit stamps, which satisfied Spanish law. Reading this book, I remember smiling Spanish customs officers telling my parents that we could not bring school clothes and a few books bought in Gibraltar back into Spain with us. We turned around, found the nearest public restroom, put new clothes on under old, hid the books in purses, and half an hour later walked across the border. (I guess that means I come from a family of smugglers.) In the later chapters I see that our "daring" smuggling coincided with a time when Spain was trying to force Britain to return the Rock to Spain and wouldn't allow goods bought in Gibraltar across the border. Maybe that's why we took a day trip by ferry to Tangier, Morocco, the next time we needed to leave. Actually, from our apartment balcony that faced the Mediterranean, on a clear day we could see the Moroccan coastline. North Africa and Spain are not far apart, which accounts for extensive multicultural influences.

While I most enjoyed the last half of the book, perhaps because of the narration of Gibraltar's role in familiar historical events, the first half offered a fascinating account of how, since ancient days, seafaring civilizations have vied for control of this strategically placed piece of stone. One warning: I did find at least one error that makes me wonder how many others I read and accepted as truth because of lack of knowledge. The error I found? Mr. Alexander described the Catholic Kings' daughter/rightful successor Juana as "mentally retarded." Actually, she was highly intelligent but was mentally unstable, perhaps bipolar according to some scholars, and lost her throne to conniving (male) family members.

All in all, an interesting read about an unusual place.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable and concise history of the area without losing the pertinent details that has left me with a desire to visit Gibraltar.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short history of this fascinating place.